Home > Moving Guide > Packing > Electronics

Packing Electronics

Packing and moving go hand in hand. All items should be packed well to reduce damage and this can consume quite a bit of time and effort. When it comes to electronics, the packing time increases because they are fragile, expensive and can be tricky to fit into a box. So, its important to follow certain procedures to ensure that they arrive intact at the destination.

Before you pack up all your electronics, it’s important to first decide if you really need them all in your new home. It is a good idea to donate or sell the unwanted electronics. This can save time on packing and unpacking as well as give you more space for other essential things.

The first step to packing the required electronic items is to check the user's manual to see if there are any special considerations mentioned by the manufacturer for packing. This information is crucial and should be followed precisely. Also, the user's manual will have detailed instructions on how to disassemble the parts and reassemble them later at the destination. If a particular equipment can be disassembled, then it makes it much easier to pack and transport. Another source to check this information is the manufacturer's website. A copy of the manual can also be requested through mail from the manufacturer or the technical service representatives of the manufacturing company can help over the phone.

The packing process begins with unplugging the wires from the equipment. It’s important that all the wires are labelled correctly to make reassembling easy. Based on the user's manual, the different parts of the electronic equipment should be disassembled. Each part should be wrapped around at least one inch of bubble wrap to protect it from scratches and damages. In fact, the more wrapping that you do, the safer it is for the electronic item. After wrapping, a small label can be placed on the item to show what it is and even a small note about where it fits into the electronic device. This small piece of additional work can make reassembling a breeze and can save a lot of time and frustration.

Once the special instructions are followed and the parts are disassembled, the next step is to find appropriate boxes for packing them. It is best to use the original box and the packing materials if they are still available. Otherwise, a box with the right dimensions should be chosen. It should be big enough for the equipment to fit in, but at the same time it should not be too large. Most people tend to think that a bigger box is better, but unfortunately, that's not true. When a large box is chosen, the equipment and its parts are not tightly packed. During shipping, the parts can collide with one another and this increases the possibility of damage. Therefore, it’s important that an appropriate-sized box is chosen.

While placing the item in the box ensure that there is a lot of packing material that is stuffed between the parts. This will provide the additional cushioning needed to protect the parts from damage. Some choices of packing materials include foam, bubble wrap, thermocol, packing peanuts and other materials that do not conduct electricity. These packing materials should be placed at the bottom of the box as well as on the sides to give additional protection.

As the items are put into different boxes, you can make a note of the item, the box number, the model number and a note about where to fix it in which electronic equipment. Though it may seem like additional work now, it can be of great help while unpacking. Also, it can make it easy to find the different parts easily. Such a record of inventory will help to file insurance claims in the unfortunate event of it getting lost.

After filling the box snugly with the different items, seal it with a packing tape. The entire box can even be wrapped in plastic to prevent moisture from getting inside and damaging the electronic items. Finally, give the box a number for your reference and label it as “Fragile.” This label can help you or the mover to know that it has to be handled with care.

In short, packing electronics can be a challenge. If you are unsure how to do it or if you do not have the time to pack it, then you can always get in touch with the moving companies in our network. They have extensive experience packing and unpacking fragile items and they will take care of it for you.